Romeǁîn ǀkha hâ ǃgaeǀhaos
1 Judab ge Romeǁîn di koahegomxasib tsî toroǀgaib xa ge ǁnâu. ǁÎb ge hoan Romeǁîn ǀkha ge ǃgaeǀhaosa dīn ge ǁîn xa ǁkhoreǁharehe tsî ǁnān, Romes ǃoa ge hān ge khoexaǃnâsiba mîmâibahe ǃkhais tsîna ge ǂan i. 2 Khoen ge Romeǁîn ge ǃkham torogu tsî ǃgari-aosi sîsengu Gaulǁîn ǁaegun ge dīgu, mâtin ge ǁîna dan tsî ǁgui-aimarisa matare kai ǃkhais tsîna ǁîba ge mîba. 3 ǁÎb ge tarena gu ge Spanjeb ǃnâ, ǁnāpa gu ge ǀhaiǀuri tsî ǃhuniǀuriǃgaesenga a ǀhanao, dī ǃkhaisa ge mîbahe. 4 ǂŌrisa ǀapeǁguib tsî ǀû tamase aiǃgûs ǀkha gu ge Romesa xub ge ǃnū i, xawe hoaraga ǃhūba ge dan. ǁÎgu ge ǁîgu ǃoagu gere ǃnū ǃhūga xu hā ǃkham gao-aoga ge dan. ǁÎga gu ge ǁgaise ge hîkākā tsîn ge ûiǃgau gena ǁgui-aimarisa gere matare. 5 ǁÎgu ge Masedoniab di gao-aokha Filipub tsî Perseub hâkha tsî ǁîkha ǀkha ge Romes ǃoagu khâikhâisen khoen tsîn ǃoagu ǃkham tsî ge dan. 6 ǁÎgu ge ǁkhāti Asiab di gao-aob Antioxub Kaib, hîa ge ǁîga ǀguikaidisiǀgamdisi ǂkhoagu, hātoroǃkhamaogu, torokunidi tsî ǀgaisa toroǂnubis ǀkha ǁnāǂamga ge hîkākā. 7 Tsîgu ge ǁîba ûitsamase ǃkhō tsî ǁîb di saoǃgonaona kai ǁgui-aimarisa matare, ǃkhōsaben mā tsîn ǁîn di ǂoaǂamsa ǃhūgu, 8 Indiab, Mediab tsî Lidiab tsîga nî māǁnā ǃkhaisa ge ǂgaoǀkhā. ǁÎgu ge nē ǃhūga ǁîba xu ū tsî gao-aob Eumeneba ge mā.
9 Grikeǁîgu ge ǁîga ǁnāǂam tsî gu nî hîkākā ǃkhaisa ge ǀape, 10 xawe gu ge Romeǁîga nē ǃkhaisa ǂanǃnâ tsî ǃkhōdana-aoba Grikeǁîgu ǃoagu nî ǃkhamse ge sî. Romeǁîgu ge ǂgui Grikeǁîga ǃgam, ǁîgu taradi tsî ǀgôan tsîna ǃkhōsis ǃnâ ū, ǁîgu xūna ǁkhâuǁnâ, ǃhūb âga ū, ǀgaisa hâǃkhaiga khôaǁnâ tsî ǁîna nētsēs kōse ge khobodī. 11 ǁKhāti gu ge nau gaosigu, ǃnāǃnuidi tsî mâ-i hoa-i, ǁîgu ǃoagu gere ǃkham-e hîkākā tamas ka io gere khobodī. 12 Xawe gu ge ǁnān hîa ǁîgu xa nî ǁkhaubahese ǁîgu ǀkha ǃgaeǀhaosa ūhân ǀkha khoexaǃnâsiba ge ǃkhōǀgaipe. ǁÎgu ge ǀgūse tsî ǃnūse hâ gao-aoga ge dan tsî i ge ǁîgu di koahegomxasib xa gere ǁnâu-i hoa-e ǁîgu xa ge gere ǃao. 13 ǁÎgu ge ǀnî khoega gao-ao kai gu nîse ge hui tsî nauga ge ǂnûiǁnâ. Tsî gu ge ǁnā ǃkhais ǃaroma kaise ge ǀgapiǀgapihe. 14 Nēn hoan gere ī, xaweb ge ǀguib âgu tsîna kronsa ǀgapa tamas ka io gaosi ǂhoaǀapa anaǂamsaraba ana tama ge i. 15 ǁÎgu ge ǀapemāǃnan-e ge ǂnubi tsî gu ge ǃnonakaidisi tsî ǀgamdisi ǀapemā-aoga tsēkorobe ǀhao tsî khoen di ǃgomsigu tsî ǁîn di ǃgâise hâsa gere ǃhoaǂam. 16 Mâ kurib hoabab ge ǀgui khoeba, khoen tsî hoaraga ǁanǀkharib di ǂgaeǂguis di ǃereamsa gere ǂgomǃgâbahe. Hoagu ge nē khoeba gere ǁnâuǀnam tsîb ge surib tamas ka io tauxasib xaweba ǁîgu ǃnâ ge ǀkhai i.
17 Judab ge Johaneb di ôa tsî Akkosi ǁnuriǀgôab Eupolemub tsî Eleasari ôab Jasonni tsîkha ǁhûi tsî khoexaǃnâsib ǃgaeǀhaosa nî Romeǁîn ǀkha dīse Romes ǃoa ge sî. 18 Nēsab ge Siriaǁîn di ǁgâiǀāba xub nî ǃnorase ge dī, Jodeǁîn ge ǁkhāti mâtin ǁîn khoena ra khobodīhe ǃkhaisa ge mû xui-ao. 19 Kaise gaxu tsî ǃgom ǃgûs khaoǃgâ kha ge Eupolemub tsî Jasonni hâkha Romes ǃnâ sī tsî ǀApemāǃnans ommi ǃnâ ge ǂgâ. ǁÎkha ge ǂnûsa sao rase ge gowaǀî: 20 “Judab Makabaeub, ǁîb ǃgâsagu tsî Jodeǁîn ge sadu ǀkha khom nî torob ǃnâ huigus tsî ǂkhîb di ǃgaeǀhaosa dīse go sî khom, î da xoaǁguisa ǃgaeǀhaos ǃnâ-u sadu di ǀhōsa kai.”
21 Romeǁîn ge aoǁguiba ge ǃkhōǃoa 22 tsî sao rab ge sîǂkhanis di ǁgâiǁnâb, hîa ge brons ǂgapagu ai xoahe tsî Jerusalems ǃoa, ǂkhîb ǃgaeǀhaos di xoaǁguib aseb ǁnāpa nî hâse sîheba.
23 “An hoa xūna Romeǁîn tsî ǃhūb ǃnâ tsî hurib ai hâ Jodeǁîn ǃaroma ǀamose ǃgâise ǃgû! An tātsē tā khākhoena ūhâ tsî toro-e ǃkham! 24 Xawe torob ga ǂgurose Romeǁîn tamas ka io ǁîn ǀkha ǃgaeǀhaosa ūhâ khoen ai hā, 25 on ge Jodeǁîna ǁîs ǃoa hā tsî ǁîsa ǂgaob hoab ǀkha, mâsib ga mā-am ǀgaub ai nî mâxōǀkhā. 26 ǁNā khākhoen ǁîs ǃoagu ra torodīnab ge ǂû-i, ǁâtanin, mari-i tamas ka io doe-omde mā tide, Romes ǃnâ i ge mîǀguihe khami. Tsîn ge ǁîn di mîǁguide hōdawa-am-i ose nî dīǀoaǀoa.
27 “ǁNā ǀgaub ǀguib ai torob ga ǂguro Jodeǁîn ǃoa hā, on ge Romeǁîna ǂgaob hoab ǀkha mâsib ra ǁgausen ǀgaub hoab ai ǁîna nî mâxōǀkhā. 28 Romes ǃnâ i ge mîǀguihe khamin ge khākhoena ǂû-i, ǁâtanin, mari-i tsî doe-omgu tsîna māhe tide.
29 “Nētin ge Romeǁîna, Jodeǁîn ǀkha ǃgaeǀhaosa ge dī. 30 Xawe ǃgoaxaǁaeb ǃnâ ra ge hoa ǃnanra xū-e ūbē tamas ka io ǀarosa nî mîǀguis kara, on ge ǁîn di mîǀguib ai nî sîsen tsî i ge ǀarohe tamas ka io ra ūbēhe xū-e ǀgaiba nî ūhâ.
31 “ǃAruǀî ge ge gao-aob Demetriub ra Jodeǁîn ǃoagu dī tsū dīgu xa ǁîb ǃoa nēti ge xoa: ‘Tare-i ǃaromats sida ǀhōsan tsî ǁîn ǀkha da ǃgaeǀhaosa dī hâ Jodeǁîna ǁkhōse gere sîsenū? 32 ǁKhawan ga sats ǃoagu huiba sige tawa ǀkhoma, o ge ge ǁîna ǂkhâǃnâ tsî toroba sats ǃoagu ǃhūb tsî ǁgammi ai nî dī.’ ”
The Treaty with the Romans
1 Judas had heard about the Romans and their reputation as a military power. He knew that they welcomed all those who joined them as allies and that those who came to them could be sure of the friendship of Rome. 2 People had told him about the wars the Romans had fought and their heroic acts among the Gauls, whom they had conquered and forced to pay taxes. 3 He had been told what they had done in Spain when they captured the silver mines and the gold mines there. 4 By careful planning and persistence, they had conquered the whole country, even though it was far from Rome. They had overcome the kings from distant lands who had fought against them; they had defeated them so badly that the survivors had to pay annual taxes. 5 They had fought and conquered Philip and Perseus, kings of Macedonia, and all who had joined them against Rome. 6 They had even defeated Antiochus the Great, king of Syria, who had attacked them with 120 elephants, cavalry, chariots, and a powerful army. 7 They took him alive and forced him and his successors to pay heavy taxes, to give hostages, and to surrender 8 India, Media, Lydia, and some of their best lands. They took these and gave them to King Eumenes.
9 When the Greeks made plans to attack and destroy them, 10 the Romans learned of the plans and sent a general to fight against them. The Romans killed many of the Greeks, took their wives and children captive, plundered their possessions, occupied their land, tore down their fortresses, and made them slaves, as they are today. 11 They also destroyed or made slaves of other kingdoms, the islands, and everyone who had ever fought against them. 12 But they maintained their friendship with their allies and those who relied on them for protection. They conquered kings near and far, and everyone who heard of their reputation was afraid of them. 13 They helped some men to become kings, while they deposed others; they had become a world power. 14 In spite of all this, no Roman ever tried to advance his own position by wearing a crown or putting on royal robes. 15 They created a senate, and each day 320 senators came together to deliberate about the affairs of the people and their well-being. 16 Each year they entrusted to one man the responsibility of governing them and controlling their whole territory. Everyone obeyed this one man, and there was no envy or jealousy among them.
17 Judas chose Eupolemus, the son of John and grandson of Accos, and Jason son of Eleazar and sent them to Rome to make a treaty of friendship and alliance with the Romans. 18 He did this to eliminate Syrian oppression, since the Jews clearly saw that they were being reduced to slavery. 19 After a long and difficult journey, Eupolemus and Jason reached Rome and entered the Senate. They addressed the assembly in these terms: 20 “Judas Maccabeus, his brothers, and the Jewish people have sent us here to make a mutual defense treaty with you, so that we may be officially recorded as your friends and allies.”
21 The Romans accepted the proposal, 22 and what follows is a copy of the letter which was engraved on bronze tablets and sent to Jerusalem to remain there as a record of the treaty:
23 “May things go well forever for the Romans and for the Jewish nation on land and sea! May they never have enemies, and may they never go to war! 24 But if war is declared first against Rome or any of her allies anywhere, 25 the Jewish nation will come to her aid with wholehearted support, as the situation may require. 26 And to those at war with her, the Jews shall not give or supply food, arms, money, or ships, as was agreed in Rome. The Jews must carry out their obligations without receiving anything in return.
27 “In the same way, if war is declared first against the Jewish nation, the Romans will come to their aid with hearty support, as the situation may require. 28 And to their enemies there shall not be given or supplied food, arms, money, or ships, as was agreed in Rome. The Romans must carry out their obligations without deception.
29 “These are the terms of the treaty that the Romans have made with the Jewish people. 30 But if, in the future, both parties shall agree to add or remove anything, they shall act on their decision, and whatever they add or remove shall be valid.
31 “Furthermore, concerning the wrongs which King Demetrius is doing against the Jews, we have written him as follows, ‘Why have you treated our friends and allies, the Jews, so harshly? 32 If they complain to us about you one more time, we will support their cause and go to war against you on land and sea.’”
